CycleDog: (n) 1. An all-weather bicyclist, often regarded as one very sick puppy with a bad attitude. 2. A ankle-biting poodle with a Mohawk. (l)Canis
familiaris cyclus

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

The Monday Musette

George commented:

“I usually go the "one finger salute" route when someone blares their horn at me in traffic.”

I’ve had life-long issues with controlling my temper. I’ve been all too quick to do the same in traffic, but flipping people off really doesn’t resolve anything. One local advocate recommended just waving at them. It acknowledges that you’ve heard their horn, but you’re not going to move out of their way or escalate into an angry confrontation.

I like the idea of using all five fingers – for emphasis. And I usually spout some language that can blister their paint. People drive with their windows up nearly year-round here in Oklahoma. It’s either too cold or too hot to have them down unless it’s spring or fall. Those seasons are nice, both days. They don’t linger.

Another good reason to avoid escalation is that allegedly 50% of the vehicles here have some sort of firearm aboard. It’s illegal to carry like that of course, but when did that ever stop anyone?

Finally, there’s one other reason to avoid escalation. That’s due to my blood pressure. I want to live a long time and anger is one of the most destructive emotions. Some impatient horn-honking moron can shorten his own life. I’m not about to help him shorten mine. He can fume while he’s stuck in traffic behind a bicyclist, the ash from his unfiltered Lucky falling onto his shirt and burning a hole in his skin that corresponds to the hole a Big Mac is burning in his gut. Now, I ask you, is that any way to live?

Change of topic:

Riding to work this morning, I was startled when a deer burst from the woods on my left, running as fast as it could. It crashed into the brush on the right and disappeared. I’ve been around deer enough to be wary of others following the first, and I slowed down just in time for a coyote to run out in front of me too. It was in hot pursuit of the deer, so close it swerved around me! That was one ambitious coyote. A lone coyote has a slim chance of bringing down a deer, so he must have been very, very hungry.